Sticks and Stones
by Marmiexx
Summary: Her planet destroyed, her family lost. She thought she had nothing to fight for, until something unexpected happened; a mission to collect the fugitive John Harrison. Though, she did not expect to be strangely drawn to him, nor for him to have a fascination with her. Khan/OC. Rated T for a reason, possible M in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N. I love the movie so much and I'm a major trekkie and I had this idea in my head since I watched the movie and I thought that I would share it with you! If there is anything that you don't understand about the story so far don't be afraid to review and I'll reply, also review if you want me to continue and also constructive criticism is welcomed. **

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Sticks and Stones

Chapter 1

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When that black hole encased her planet, she had felt the lives of the _billions_ end. She had felt their pain, their anguish as they died. And she will never be able to forget that. She hadn't even been able to do anything about it, she couldn't even save her parents nor her grandparents lives. It was her fault for their deaths, their blood was on her hands, because she didn't try hard enough. She had been off planet, positioned at the Star Fleet Academy on earth. Training to be a tactical officer in London, safe and sound and away of harm's way when the inevitable happened. She just couldn't protect them.

She had heard her mother's screams, felt her pain, because she was half Betazoid; she could feel others emotions as easily as her own. A gift and a curse when being half Vulcan, trying to represses emotions was more difficult and required meditation on a daily basis. Her mother had taught everything that she knows; how to fight, how to be calm in the most stressful of situations and, most of all, how to escape the eyes of the Vulcans around her. Now, all of that seemed useless without the presence of her mother.

She had not seen much of her father when growing up, sometimes she even believed that she didn't have one. But, whenever she looked in a mirror she knew that he existed for she looked like him, a Vulcan. She had the trademark eyebrows and pointed ears, however her eyes were blue and light, most unlike the Vulcan children around her. And for that tiny difference, she had to pay a price.

She didn't have any friends growing up on Vulcan, many of the children ignored her. The deemed her as different, odd, and many are afraid of the unknown. She was bullied as a child, though her mother always told her _'sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you'_ and she would smile and make everything okay. Now that could _never_ happen again.

Her mother had not been at her Graduating Ceremony, nor had any of her family. Her sister who survived the attack on Vulcan didn't turn up either. She had to watch the other cadets embrace their loved ones when just she couldn't, not because she was part Vulcan, but because they were all gone. Dead.

She had not been on the best of terms with her parents when she left Vulcan, they had been disappointed that she wasn't Vulcan enough, that she didn't want to follow the 'Vulcan way'. Though, she could tell that her mother was secretly proud that she rebelled and went against her father's wishes, even though she would never admit it. And, in the end, her mother took those feelings to her grave.

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_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep…_

* * *

Was the degrading drone of her alarm clock, ringing in regular intervals and causing havoc on her ear drums. She flicked open her eyes, her eye lids being pried open. She placed her hand over the metal, silencing the machine with just one touch.

She stood up and changed into her Academy uniform; black top and jacket with black trousers. She had requested that her uniform be changed from a dress to trousers since it restricted her movement and she had to teach the cadets how to fight, to protect themselves. Her superiors had complied and allowed her to dress as such without much protesting because they knew it was a battle that they could not win.

However, before she could teach at the Academy, she needed to collect some documents for her superiors at Section 31. She neither knew what were inside the documents, nor what they were needed for, but she followed orders anyway.

It wasn't a long distance from her flat to the building, so she decided to walk to her destination as it was a bright day, most unusual for London, and she needed the fresh air.

* * *

She walked down the busy streets of London, narrowly avoiding racing hover-cars driving recklessly down the highway. People were crowded everywhere, some human, some not. All packed into the pavements of the streets, shoulder to shoulder with each other. This made the Vulcan uncomfortable, walking so close to strangers, being able to feel their emotions in every sensor, literally smell them. Sometimes she wished that they would repress their own emotions just so she didn't have to bother, though that was a selfish thought, so she quickly put it out of mind.

She was a couple of blocks away from her destination when, most unexpectedly, she was thrown backwards with a force that couldn't be reckoned with. Her body hit the pavements, as did many others. However, most received more damage than her.

She heard the crack before she even felt it, the bone of her arm snapping into two as she landed awkwardly on the limb. White noise filled her ears, as he head hit the stone. She could see people around her scrambling away, could see the traffic coming to a stop, but she could not hear it.

She examined the situation in her mind, internally grateful that it was only her arm that was broken and not her spine. Her mind was a haze, but she quickly got it under control as a Vulcan would do. Her senses gradually returned, and she pulled herself onto her feet, holding her limp broken arm with her other hand.

She noticed some people around her, still unconscious, though greatly hurt. She pulled some out of the rubble with her unharmed hand, getting them out of harm's way. She looked around for the source of the destruction, only then noticing that it had been her target which had gone up in flames.

She inhaled a shaky breath at the destruction before her, men and women were both screaming, some in agony, some in shock. Some in fear.

_Fear. _An emotion that is chosen, an emotion that can be repressed. And right now, fear was not an option for her. Fear is an illusion, fight or flight. Though danger is very much real, but fear is not, fear is a choice.

She continued forward, searching for survivors, but finding less and less. As she got closer, that's when she noticed the dead bodies. Most crushed by rubble and glass, some burned to death from the explosion and died from their wounds.

"Espera, thank god you're alright…" A man came limping from behind her and grabbed onto her shoulder, steading himself. He was also in Starfleet uniform, though he looked considerably older than her. He had grey hair where brown locks used to be, wrinkles where time has aged him, but his compassion was never ending.

"Admiral Pike." She addressed him. "I appreciate your concern, but I am unharmed."

He looked up and down her, not believing a word that she had spoken from experience with the Vulcan, eyes falling upon her arm that she was clutching.

"Then what's that then?"

"…I- I am mostly unharmed, nothing vital." She answered, frowning slightly when she started to feel the pain originating from her limb. Dust covered her face, and a small gash branded her forehead, the cut reaching her hairline. The small droplets of green blood were flowing down into her eyebrow as she looked at the Admiral.

"Come on, we need to get you to a hospital." He spoke, singling her to follow him. She started walking behind Pike, looking around for any survivors with no avail. Though, she was pulled from her thoughts when another shoulder slammed into hers.

"Sorry." She spoke instinctively, acting on impulse as it was polite for a human to apologise for any act of violence, as she had observed about the culture from the years of living on the planet.

Pain shot through her arm at the force of the hit, her lips parting at the unexpected ache that followed the hit, as she looked around for the source.

For a moment her eyes met azure ones, full of anger, hate, loathing and an emotion that she couldn't identify. He was tall, considerably so. His dark, matted hair covered his eyes as he glared at her. Strands of her shoulder-length urban hair got caught in her eyes as she flinched slightly at his intense gaze, though she brushed if off as if nothing happened.

He spared a glance at her, then ran off, not looking behind and not apologising.

She thought nothing of it, as it was just seconds, and jogged to catch up with the Admiral. She was still clutching her broken limb, but did not show the pain thorough her stone-cold mask as the agony raced through her like a fire in her veins.

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**A/N. So what do you think of her? Used a bit of a quote from After Earth since it was an awesome quote. Reviews would be appreciated c: **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N. Thank you for all of the reviews, favourites and follows; they always make my day! Sorry for any mistakes, but I don't have a Beta and it's really hard to find out what they were saying in the scenes. R & R, Enjoy this chapter…**

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Sticks and Stones

Chapter 2

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After the explosion, the admiral had forced her to go and seek medical help, even though she did protest that she was fine, he managed to convince her otherwise. The doctors and nurses had repaired her arm, though they had been surprised at the swiftness of the healing of the bone, she just shrugged and went back to her duties as soon as possible.

Pike had invited her to a meeting concerning the bombing in Section 31, which meant that all the leaders of the council must meet in one place to discuss the situation. Since she was Head of Security at the academy in London, Pike had invited her along to address the situation and to see what could be done about it to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

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As she entered the meeting room, she scanned around for Admiral Pike. Her eyes gazed over the distinguished Captains and other Star Fleet officers, taking in her surroundings. She waited for a moment as she flicked through the officers in the room. Her eyes finally rested upon him and she found Pike talking to a tall, dark-skinned commanding officer; Captain Frank Abbott of the USS Bradbury. Pike continued to talk to the Captain until he noticed her presence as she walked towards him. He politely dismissed Captain Abbott with a smile and a nod as the man walked over to talk to two other men in the room. She met Pike half way as he walked towards her and she did the same.

"Admiral." She greeted him and inclined her head.

"Miss. Espera, glad you could join us. I'd like you to meet my first officer." Pike replied with a smile. He turned around and waved his hand towards the two gentlemen that Captain Abbott had talked to as the Captain walked off.

"This is my first officer; Kirk. And the USS Bradbury's first officer; Mr Spock." He spoke, introducing the two me, before turning to face her. "This is chief Security Officer; Lieutenant Espera."

"Commanders." She addressed them politely, no emotion betraying her features even though she was pleased, in some sense, to meet them.

"Lieutenant." The blonde one, Kirk, replied with a flirtatious smile upon his lips. "I didn't know that there was another Vulcan that served in Star Fleet."

"Half Vulcan." She corrected. "Though I joined Star Fleet after the destruction of my planet. I just finished the academy." She explained.

"And yet you are already a Lieutenant." The other man stated, Spock, with a raise of his eyebrow. She could feel the emotions rolling from Kirk in waves, but with Spock, she could not tell if he was impressed or displeased with her swift progress and that was _unnerving_ for her.

"I'm good at what I do." She replied easily.

"Well, now that you're acquainted, let's get moving before we miss the meeting." Pike stated, crutch in hand as he limped into the meeting room.

"Let's." He nodded to her, and she walked into the room just as Admiral Marcus called everyone to order.

"Thank you for convening on such short notice." Admiral Marcus spoke. "Be seated."

As Espera sat in her seat, the screens leapt alive, the black vanishing as pictures filled the voids. Espera felt a jolt of confusion as a familiar face filled the screen. _It can't be…_ She thought, but it was. The man that she had bumped into at the time of the explosion in Section 31, was the man that was most wanted by Star Fleet.

Marcus' stone cold voice droned on in her ears, but she stared on in shock at the picture before her.

"By now, some of you have heard what happened in London. The target was a Starfleet Data Archive, now it's a damp hole in the ground, 42 men and women are dead. One hour ago, I received a message from a Starfleet Officer who confessed to carrying out this attack, that he was being forced to do it by this man. Commander John Harrison."

_So that was his name._ She touched the screen lightly with the tip of her index finger, zooming in on the picture to get a closer look, her feather light touches commanding the screen to see his face clearly.

"He's one of our own, and he's the man responsible for this act of savagery," She looked to her left and also noticed Kirk looking deeply at the screen, staring at something that she hadn't spotted. He brow furrowed as Marcus continued.

"For reasons unknown, John Harrison has just declared a one-man war against Starfleet, and under no circumstances are we to allow this man to escape Federation space. You're here tonight to represent the senior command of all the vessels in the region, and in the name of those we lost, you will run this _bastard_ down. This is a manhunt, pure and simple, so let's get to work."

She was jerked from her dream-like state as Marcus' booming voice asked Kirk what he was thinking, she turned to face him, awaiting an answer.

"Why the Archive?" Kirk began, looking around for answers. "All that information is public record, if he really wanted to damage Starfleet… This could just be the beginning."

Her mind was racing as was Kirks, trying to process the information thoroughly to not make mistake and assumptions. Her thoughts agreed with what Kirk was trying to explain, and she looked closer to the screen for a solutions.

A shiver ran down her spine as her sensitive hearing detected an oncoming noise of rotors approaching the building. Confusion washed over in waves and she had a bad feeling lurking in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, as the noise came closer, realisation hit her like a ton of bricks. _John Harrison_…

"The beginning of what, Mr Kirk?" Marcus requested, but she paid no notice to what he had to say. She put all her efforts into her hearing, concentrating only on the spin of the rotors, trying to decipher what it was. _A Jumpship._

"Sir, in the event of an attack protocol mandates that senior command gather, with their captains and first officers, at Starfleet HQ, right here in this room," Kirk stated as all of the officer looked at each other uneasily, their thoughts all coming to the same conclusion.

A gasp tore through her as light filled the room from the Jumpship lurking outside, awareness blinded her and she knew everyone had to get out. Now.

"Everyone out, now!" She screamed, though it was too late. Phaser cannon fire filled the air, and she threw herself to the ground, landing roughly on her side to avoid being hit. Pieces of broken glass flew over her and scratched the flesh of her arms, creating minute cuts stained with green blood.

She scrambled into a sitting position, hiding behind the desk, she reached for her Phaser from the holster at her hip. Pulling out the gun she began firing at the Jumpship, though it did nothing to stop the devastation around her. The officers around her began dropping like flies, one by one, though their efforts were in vain; it was not enough to save their lives.

She found that firing at the ship was useless, it had almost no effect on the ship, so she began evasive action to stop the Jumpship at any cause. Taking her chances, she ran for a side corridor. Picking up a Phaser rifle, she started firing on the Jumpship, hoping that the weapon would somehow harm it more than just a Phaser. Kirk appeared beside her after following her out, blood stained his uniform.

"I have an idea." He spoke, looking at her, then behind him. "Give me that."

She complied and gave him the rifle, not really knowing his plan of action. He attached the hose from an extinguisher to the weapon and threw it at the Jumpship before she could protest. The weapon was sucked into the rotor, the engine shredded itself to pieces along with the rifle, and she looked at Kirk with astonishment at his tactical thinking.

She turned back to look at the extinguisher, quickly ducking when it was dragged from the wall and crashed into the ship. The Jumpship began to rotate as Harrison lost control, drastically losing altitude as it began to fall towards the ground. She spared a glance at the man in the cockpit, chiselled features looking back at her. His piercing eyes staring right into her as vibrant white energy engulfed him.

She slowly stood back up onto both of her feet as his form disappeared, her eyes unmoving from his. Kirk raced off back into the meeting room, but she stood, motionless. She couldn't move even if she wanted to, something was keeping her stuck in place as Harrison's form disintegrated from sight, but it was not fear.

As his final particles vanished from sight, she let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

She quickly found Kirk, but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her. Pain engulfed her like a fire, as she felt sorrow like she had not felt since the day her planet was destroyed. She fell to her knees at the view of his lifeless body. _Pike… _Not noticing the pain when her knees landed roughly against the hard concrete, she stared on in shock, as Kirk slowly fell apart before her eyes.

She placed a hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes, but she would not let them fall. Anger filled her senses, blood red anger, before it transformed to determination. She stood up and marched out of the room, resolve lingering in her steps.

_You will pay for this John Harrison…_

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**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N. Oh god, I just read the 'so bad, its good' fanfiction (My Immortal by Tara Gilesbie) and it was so bad and OOC that I just wanted to shove a dictionary in her face. God, I hope my writing isn't as bad as hers… Any way, it was a fun read and I hope you enjoy this chapter! R&R.**

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Sticks and Stones

Chapter 3

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She ran through the hanger which was taking the crew from Earth to the USS Enterprise, her pace never slowing, never stopping. She had her data PADD in one hand, the other balled into a tight fist as she sprinted down the corridors. Her breath came out in short rasps as her pace quickened, her academy uniform clinging to her figure as her strides spaced out. She dodged out of the way of the officers loading the shuttles, jumping over luggage and boxes full of important equipment and personal items.

She glanced at her padd, making sure she got the number right as she searched out for the correct shuttle. Finally, she had found it after minutes of racing around the shuttle bay, causing havoc among the officers and around the shuttles.

She took a deep breath to steady out her breathing, making her persona once again a calm and collected Vulcan. She put on her stone-cold mask and straightened out her uniform, brushing out the wrinkles in the material, trying to look presentable.

Flattening down her short hair, she stepped into the shuttle, eyes scanning for the man she was looking for.

"Captain Kirk." She addressed him, captivating his attention from a blonde officer beside who he was flirting with. "I ask you for permission on board the USS Enterprise." She requested, not allowing Kirk to ask for an explanation. "Pike was a…a dear friend of mine… and I want to see the man who _murdered _him be brought to justice." She finished, handing over her details to him.

He took hold of her PADD, looking over her credentials, though his mind was already made up.

"Welcome aboard Lieutenant Espera…" He smiled, handing back the PADD to her. "We could use all the help that we can get."

_Everyone please take your seats, we are about the leave the Shuttle Bay._

A voice chimed over the comm and she took her seat behind Kirk and Spock, sitting gracefully next to Dr McCoy. She acknowledged him with a tip of her head, and made sure that her seat belt was secure before they took off.

"I hear you suffer from aviophobia, doctor." He turned and looked at her with confusion in his eyes. "Please do not throw up on me." She finished with a well hidden smirk. He looked at her in surprise at her remark, the corners of her lips twitched at the surprise on his face. McCoy looked as if he was going to say something, his mouth bobbing open then closed, but decided to keep his lips sealed tightly shut at the Shuttle took off into the atmosphere.

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They had arrived on the ship safely and she had had an actual pleasant conversation with the Doctor on the journey to the ship once he had overcome his surprise that a Vulcan can have a sense of humour and sarcasm.

Their objective sent by Admiral Marcus was to kill Harrison with the 72 ,loaded and ready to fire, torpedoes sitting patiently in engineering, waiting to be fired on the unsuspecting target. Though, she couldn't but help to feel that death was not the best way forward. And after Mr. Scott's sudden resignation and indecisiveness about the torpedoes, she couldn't but help but wonder as to why they couldn't find out what was inside the weapons. After all, what was the Admiral trying to hide?

If they were a threat to the warp core, then why did Admiral Marcus order them to fire _all_ of the torpedoes at Harrison. What would violence accomplish? what does it ever accomplish? All it does is create more death and devastation. Yes, she wanted him to pay for what he did, but not with his life. Ending his life gives him an easy way out and Espera did _not_ want to do that murderer any favours; he has to _suffer_ for the crimes he has committed. And suffer is what he shall do, one way or another.

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Though she would never admit it, she was silently grateful when Kirk ordered to capture and hold Harrison as prisoner on board the Enterprise, rather than execute him in cold blood.

She always knew that the Captain would do what was right, call it blind faith, but she could feel his emotions from the beginning; the Captain was a fair man, not a murderer, and not _even_ Admiral Marcus could change that. It was built into Kirk, passed on through genetics, and because of that, it has made him the man that he is today; a man who knows when to spare a life, rather than take one.

They would have to send a landing party down to surface of the planet Qo'noS to be able to capture Harrison, though they could not be quite sure that they would be able to capture him without any resistance.

They would have to capture Harrison, but from what she's read on his file; he is a skilled fighter, and most likely knows Qo'noS better than any Starfleet officer. They would need a skilled martial artist if they want any chance of fighting Harrison, one which knows _all_ of the human pressure points; some lethal, some not, and she knew that exact person for the job.

As Kirk left his chair, Espera stepped forward. "Captain, may I ask you for your permission to accompany you on the away team. I know every form of martial art and my combat skills are above average, I also know my way around a gun and have no problem subduing Harrison without harm."

He kept his eyes on hers and she spoke, her voice steady and sure.

"Permission granted, Lieutenant. Change into civilian clothes; none of this can relate to Starfleet if we get captured, and meet us in shuttle bay."

"Aye Sir."

She paced back to her quarters, the mechanical doors opening at her command as she stalked in to her room. It was bare with no personal items; no pictures on the wall, no photos of family on the desk, just a bare, barren, empty room which just consisted of a bed, wardrobe and side cabinet.

She flicked on the light with a one word command, changing out of her uniform and into unfamiliar clothes given to her by the Captain.

Removing the her practical Starfleet uniform, she changed into black calf length boots, a fitted waist-length black top with a grey vest top underneath. She peeled off her Academy trousers and replaced them with skin tight leather trousers, to finish off the look, she placed a leather flak jacket over her torso and ruffled her hair until it was a wild mess with strands of brown pointing in different directions.

Her communicator ringed throughout the room, breaking the deadly silence with a chirp of sound. She strode up to the wall where the piece of equipment was positioned and tapped in the code to answer.

"Espera."

_You ready, Lieutenant?_ Kirk's voice filled the void of silence as she pressed the final button to await the message.

"Yes, Captain, on my way now." She spoke as she took a final glance in the mirror, checking her appearance to make sure that she did not look like a Starfleet officer, before heading out of her quarters and to the Shuttle Bay.

_We're going to find you, John Harrison, whether you like it or not and you're going to pay for all the damage you have caused…_

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**A/N. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and sorry for any mistakes, if you spot any, please correct me. reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated. c:**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N. Thank you for the follows and favourites, as always I'll reply to everyone who reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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**Sticks and Stones**

**Chapter 4**

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Her feet tapped against the metal floor in regular intervals, passing countless officers as she approached her destination. She nodded to the two other male security officers in acknowledgement as she stepped into the shuttle, taking her place on one seat in a row of three opposite another row of seats, just behind the three main control desks. She watched as the Captain, Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura sat down in seats in front of her, taking their positions in order to control the shuttle.

Their fingers tapped lightly against countless switches, controlling the shuttle with the simplest of instructions and the lightest of touches, as the ship slowly rose and exited the USS Enterprise through the metallic doors which opened before them.

* * *

The air was thick with tension and awkwardness as they entered the atmosphere of Qo'noS, unspoken questions lingered between the other Vulcan and the Linguist. Espera swallowed thickly when she could feel the human's annoyance at the male Vulcan, though Espera wouldn't dare ask why in case the withheld anger would be redirected at her.

Her lips parted and her pulse quickened as she stared at the barren desert that was once known as Qo'noS, the dusty, windswept plains came into view once again as they passed through the cloud layer, the sky darkening as ruins of a once powerful city beckoned them for a closer look. Metal stuck out from the ground, most likely once part of a structure of sorts, though now reduced to nothing more than scrap in the middle of a barren graveyard. Know Qo'noS was nothing more than just a pile of scraps covered with rust and dirt from years of being vulnerable to the inevitable hands of time.

"Captain, I am detecting a single life form in the Ketha province. Given the information provided by Mr Scott, this is most likely John Harrison," Spock informed them, bringing Espera out of her thoughts. She looked towards the ground, imagining Harrison looking up towards them with a knowing smirk plastered on his face.

She fingered the Phaser in the holster on her hip as she looked down at the surface, waiting to finally face the coward of a man who killed Admiral Pike.

"Mr Sulu, I think we found our man. Let him know we mean business," Kirk spoke the order into his comm, once which Sulu thankfully complied.

Sulu's voice was stone cold as it addressed Harrison, proud and indefinitely suitable for a captain of a Star Ship. Espera was undoubtedly impressed at the malice and calmness that dripped from his lips and etched his words, the cool prick of his voice with each syllable almost made her believe that he was Captain of the Enterprise. Almost.

"We will arrive at Harrison's location in three minutes, Captain," Spock announced, sparing a quick glimpse at the Captain.

She shifted in her seat, observing the anticipation on the faces of the two security officers opposite her with though. _Human emotions, how fascinating. _

"It is unlikely that he will come willingly. I calculate the odds of him attempting to kill us at 91.6%." The Vulcan droned on, a calculation which had already formed in her head as well, but she chose to not voice it for it may reduce the Captains spirit.

"It's a good thing you don't care about dying," Uhura mumbled and everyone froze as the words left her lips. She could hear the intake of breath from the Vulcan and feel the irritation flow from Uhura in waves.

Espera swallowed thickly as the human feeling of irritation and discomfort in the air become unbearable.

"Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel, as a reflection of my not caring," The Vulcan spoke with a thread of emotion that surprised her, she turned to look at him as Nyota sat, awaiting an explanation. "Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite."

His words died in the air as the silence followed, though now it was filled with confusion and… forgiveness.

She choice to let her mind drift off as the silence ensured; only allowing herself to focus on the mission and not of the emotional baggage that followed Spock's words. Emotions were a weakness, one that she would not succumb to. Or so she thought…

She was thrown from her seat as an unexpected jolt shook the ship like a ragdoll, her palms reducing the impact of her fall as she looked up in confusion to those around her.

"What the hell was that?" Kirk barked, looking at the controls for answers.

"We are being pursued by a D4 Class Klingon vessel," Spock answered, hand flailing around the keys on his desk. His voice conveying the urgency of the situation, both making Espera and the other two male Security Officers feel agitated.

"I thought this region was abandoned?" Kirk questioned, voice strained as he narrowly avoided another hit to the ship.

"It must be a random patrol," Uhura concluded. "We've lost contact with the Enterprise. They must have hit our communications." She spoke, panic laced in her voice, but her outer persona calm and collected like a true Starfleet officer.

Espera was flung back into her seat when the shuttle dodged another hit, her back hitting the wall fiercely. With that incident, she decided to put her seatbelt on as she had an itching thought that the Captain was going to travel into the ruins of the city.

"This ship has no offensive capabilities!" Spock remarked and she cringed inside at the news. As much as the shuttle tried to evade the Klingon ship, it was useless; they just could shake them.

"They're closing fast! Bearing 2.8.5!" Uhura commented from her station. All Espera could do was watch the events unfold around her, not intervening as she was tied to her chair as was the other officers opposite her.

"There, there! We can lose them there!" Kirk exclaimed as he spotted a small gap between two large structures.

"You're suggesting we utilise the passage between the approaching structures? This ship will not fit!" Spock retorted, voice slightly higher in pitch as he exclaimed at the Captain.

"We'll fit," Kirk protested, flying full speed towards the gap.

"We will not fit!" Spock insisted. She dug her nails into the cushion of the seats next to her, awaiting the impact of the ship against the hard building.

"We'll fit, we'll fit!"

The shuttle rotated sideways, metal scraping against metal as the ship bounced between the two structures. They quickly emerged out of the other side of the building, relief filled the air as adrenalin coursed through their veins.

"Told you we'd fit," Kirk breathed, trying to regain his composure.

"I'm not sure that qualifies,"

A small smile tinged her lips at the Vulcans remark, her hands withdrawing from the course material.

"Any sign of them?" Kirk asked Uhura.

"No. Which worries me," Uhura confessed, looking at her scanners for any sign of the Klingons.

"We lost them!" Kirk smiled, victory in his voice at his ingenuity.

"Or they're jamming our scanners," Espera piped up from the back, making Kirk turn to look in her direction, smile slowly receding from his lips at the news. The Captain opened his mouth to say something, but before he had the chance, the shuttle was surrounded by three D4 Class Klingon ships as light filled the cockpit.

"Sorry, Captain." She spoke as the relief in the air was soon replaced with dread, Kirk smiled grudgingly, accepting her apology without much thought.

Noise suddenly blared through the comm's, one which consisted of the Klingon native tongue. Harsh words and snarls filled the stale silence as Uhura translated the barks of noise.

"They're ordering us to land. Captain, they're going to want to know why we're here. They're going to torture us, question us and they're going to kill us..."

* * *

They weighed out their options; the ship wouldn't stand a fighting chance against the Klingon vessels, but they didn't want to go down without a fight. So, they were left without a choice.

"Then we come out shooting." Kirk proclaimed, words trying to convey hope. Uhura frowned, unclipping herself from her chair and strode over to the Captain, resolve covering her features.

"We're outnumbered, outgunned." She scored. "There's no way we'll survive if we attack first. You brought me here because I speak Klingon, then let me speak Klingon." She addressed him firmly, head held high and voice determined.

The Captain looked at her questionably before reluctantly nodding in confirmation. They proceeded to land as Uhura took her place behind the doors as they opened. Beyond them revealed a barren landscape filled with nothing but dust and metal ruins of a once strong city. The shuttle was surrounded, leaving it no way to escape and no way to protect Uhura in necessary. And, knowing the Klingons, it would most likely be.

If Uhura were to show any sign of weakness, any sign of emotion, it would mean death. Most likely resulting in war between the Federation and the Klingons, and the death of everyone on board the shuttle.

Spock spared a longing glace at Uhura before she marched forward once the ship had hit the ground, placing on a stone-cold mask to hide her nervousness and her racing heartbeat beneath her skin.

Kirk handed out phasers as they watched the brave Lieutenant conversing with the group of Klingons, ready to fire if necessary. Though they knew that they stood no chance against all of the Klingon vessels, but as kirk said, they would come out fighting until the end.

They watched the Lieutenants lips moving, forming foreign words as she spoke in the Klingon native language to a commanding Klingon officer before her. His face was unmasked, his features showing as he took off his cover, but his eyes held fury beneath his dark pupils.

Espera held her phaser directed at him as he stepped closer to Uhura.

The Klingon's hand reached up and snatched Uhura's face between his fingers, straining the fragile skin with his tight grip. Fear etched Uhura eyes as the Klingon's grip tightened, his other hand reaching into his boot to grab a pocket knife. Before he could attack, bright light and Phaser fire filled the air; a symphony of screams and gun fire breaking the silence in a matter of seconds.

That's when all hell broke loose.

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**A/N. Review c:**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N. Thank you so much all who reviewed, followed and favourite this story; it always makes my day! I will always reply to everyone who reviewed! I think I had too much fun writing this and the gory bits… Warning!: Gory details with blood and shit like that, also a bit of one-sided flirting. R&R!**

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**Sticks and Stones**

**Chapter 5**

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She ran out from the shuttle as phaser fire filled the expanse of air around her, sparks of light shot across the debris-filled ground as the piercing noise virtually became unbearable for her sensitive ears. The Klingon that was threatening Uhura was reduced to nothing more than a cold body lying dead on the ground when the shots fired out from nowhere, receiving no knowledge of his killer.

She lost sight of Kirk, Uhura, Spock and the two other security officers as they all raced out of the shuttle into different directions of the labyrinth, each taking down the Klingons one by one with all the might that they had remaining in their veins.

She narrowly avoided a bat'leth that was thrown directly at her, ducking when it swept over her head and lodged itself in the metal container beside her. She shot the Klingon square in the chest with her phaser when he came charging towards her, dislodging the bat'leth from behind her and swinging blindly in a fit of rage before the phaser stopped him dead in his tracks. His body slumped and his hands went limp, letting go of the weapon as he fell to the ground weakly.

Though, she was given no time to feel relief as she fell to the ground when a sharp pain imbedded itself in her spine. She crashed towards the ground, her body hitting the dirt with a thud as she was momentarily paralysed.

Before a boot could be lodged in the back of her head, she spun around onto her front, avoiding the hit by a fraction of an inch and looked around for her weapon.

However, it was too far away; out of hands reach as she stretched her arm to grab it with no avail. Before he was able to kill her by fatally wounding her vital organs with the bat'leth, she wrapped her legs around his neck, snapping his spine with a twist of her feet as he came too close of comfort. She rolled over before he could fall on her, though, she didn't get another the chance to grab her weapon before she was lurched back.

A Klingon had grasped her around her waist, one hand on her midsection, the other around her neck. She scratched his hands with her nails as his grip tightened, but it would not lessen even when she drew violet blood from his limb.

Another Klingon ran up towards her, kicking her in the stomach and she doubled over from the sharp pain emitting from her ribs after the harsh blow. She squirmed, trying desperately to get out of the Klingons grasp as her vision blurred. The Klingon before her was about to take another kick, but he didn't get the chance as he lost the use of his left side when phaser fire left it smoking and burned the skin to a crisp.

He fell and withered on the ground in pain, clutching his torn limb as blood poured out from the gaping wound in his side. The Klingon behind her grasp loosened in shock and she took an opportunity at his momentary weakness.

She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, grabbing hold of his arm around her neck and broke it in two. She heard the bone creak and crack under the pressure of her hold and he howled out in agony when the bone could take no more, he bared his teeth and snarled before she broke his neck with one scissor kick to the throat. His body slumped to the ground with a thud and she tried to not focus the on-going noise. Taking a deep breath, she calmed down her heart which fluttered like a songbird's wing beat and set her mind straight.

Espera looked towards the direction of the shot that killed the Klingon, only to spot Harrison pupils fixated intensely on her. She glared in return as he shot down a couple more Klingons, sneering inwardly at his smugness.

He noticed her still observing him and winked at her displeasure, her glare deepened at the action as another Klingon came racing towards her form her side. Not tearing her gaze at the pitiful excuse of a man, she pulled out a knife from her watch with her right hand; it was long and sharp, pointed to a needle at the tip and deadly in the hands of it owner.

She then pierced the metal into the Klingon's venerable neck with one swift flick of her wrist, her cold eyes unmoving from Harrisons unsettling stare. Blood gushing from the wound, the Klingon stopped short and dropped dead to the ground; it's last words a gurgling mess of inhuman noise.

She cocked her head to the side, eyes piercing, attempting to convey a message to Harrison as she pulled her knife out of the dead Klingons body and threw it at another Klingon reaching for his weapon. A smirk grew on Harrisons lips as he observed her malice, he threw away his guns, _just useless toys, _and jumped down from the structure he was perched upon.

Confusion filled her senses as she raced over to the Captain when Harrison moved out of sight, assisting him before he suffered any further damage to his vital organs. Harrison came racing over, killing countless Klingons with minimal effort. _No human could do that_, she contemplated in wonder and fear as he killed them without them even inflicting a dent or scratch into his perfect marble skin. Too perfect.

The Klingons were dropping like flies before him, the lightest of touches could send them doubling over in pain, grasping the broken bones close to their bodies before he ended their small, insignificant lives.

She kneeled protectively in front of the Captain, but he just gently pushed her aside. She let him do so, but still was placed so that she could protect him in any means necessary. Spock and Uhura stood behind her, kneeling next to the captain as Harrison strode over, destroying anything in his wake.

He picked up a large weapon and aimed it at then, though Spock also did the same. "Stand down!"

"How many torpedoes?" Harrison demanded, urgency laced his voice as he pointed the weapon at them.

"Stand down!" Spock demanded again, but Harrison barely spared him a glance. All he did was mercilessly shoot the gun out of Spock's hands without even looking, continuing with his interrogation, demanding answers.

"The torpedoes! The ones you threatened me with in your message! How many are there?" He asked once again, his patience growing thin as he snarled at the Captain and the now weapon-less Vulcan.

"72," Spock replied before Harrison caused any further damage. Khan froze at those words, his body going ridged as he glared at the Vulcan. His weapon fell from his hands and plunged to the floor with a thud, metal hitting the rock on its descent.

"I surrender." Harrison suddenly spoke. Espera's brow furrowed as she looked upon his form…

_Why surrender? He had the upper hand and he would surely know, from being a Star Fleet officer, that the Federation would not fire on their own unless all the options were worn out, and they were not. _She questioned, not believing a word that dripped from Harrison's lips.

Kirk staggered to his feet, pushing himself up, using the rock as an anchor as rage filled his nimble blue eyes. "On behalf of Christopher Pike, my friend. I accept your surrender," He looked upon Harrison's form calmly, before throwing a punch at the man's face in a sudden fit of wrath.

Punch after punch, kick after kick, all of Kirks efforts appeared to not even have an effect on Harrison. He just stood there and took the blows, one after the other, never wincing nor flinching as Kirk's savage punches flew at him like bullets.

Kirks blows became sluggish as he was gradually losing energy and his muscles were weakening. That, however, didn't stop him from trying to draw blood from the other man, though it was a mission that he could not complete nor succeed in.

"Captain!" Uhura screamed, trying to stop Kirk from hurting himself further.

Harrison was dishevelled, his black hair flailing in every direction, the dark mop covered his eyes; not reviling the anger and mockery behind in the azure irises. Even though Kirks blows was savage, he was unaffected from the sudden and brutal attack. _Most unlike any human…_

No blood had been spilt, not even a bruise formed on Khan's arrogant and dirt-ridden face.

"Captain?" He tutted, sarcasm and disbelief lingering on every syllable.

Kirk glared at him with all of the strength he had left, before turning away to face his fellow officers. He looked at Espera and spoke. "Cuff him."

She nodded in confirmation and stood up, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She wiped away the grime and sweat from her forehead with her wrist and grabbed the cuffs at her belt, walking over to where Harrison stood.

He watched her like a hawk as she stalked closer, eyes scanning her from head to toe, appreciating the view. She placed the cuffs in her left hand as she reached him, suddenly taking a swing with her right to swipe the superior look off his face. The blow was hard and fast; it landed right below his sharp cheekbone and his head followed the hit, reducing the impact as his face turned to the right with the sudden pressure of knuckles against skin.

He cracked his neck back once she had withdrawn her fist, looking directly down at her, no emotion being revealed from his chiselled features. He was at least a foot and a half taller than the Vulcan, making her seem minuscule compared to him. Nevertheless, she glared up at him, taking his willing hands and shoved them roughly into the restraints.

"Follow me." It was the first time he had heard her speak, though her voice was a cold as ice, piercing the silence with malice and distaste as she looked upon his form. She turned her back to him, holding the cuffs which were wrapped securely around his hands and tugged roughly as she followed the Captain back to the shuttle.

He flicked his tongue out from his lips, the flushed muscle tracing the small droplet of crimson liquid at the side of his mouth. Tasting the iron on his tongue, he looked at the back of her head with a small glance of shock.

_Little Kitten's got bite…_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N. Thank you all so much for the reviews! And as always I will reply to each and every one! Hope you enjoy this chapter and sorry for the wait but I was visiting family in Ireland over the past week. Gosh, it was hard writing this chapter… Enjoy!**

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**Sticks and Stones**

**Chapter 6**

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Once they had arrived on Enterprise, she had all but dragged Harrison to the brig, though she took no pleasure in it, it was where he would reside until he got the punishment that his deserved. She wanted revenge, but revenge could not bring Admiral Pike back from the dead; Death was not that forgiving and neither was fate. His fate was to die that dreadful day, no matter what she would have done if she had known, no matter how much she would've tried to stop the inevitable from happening, it would not have stopped the Admiral from dying in the arms of Captain Kirk. That was his fate, though she hoped that hers was not to be the same.

Now there he stood; hand clasped tightly behind his back, his gaze unwavering from her glare as she looked upon his locked up form. She wish that he had suffered more pain on Qo'noS from the hands of the Captain, though she was curious as to how he had not suffered any more damage to his form through the barbaric beating.

The Captain had informed her, as she was head of Security, to keep a watchful eye over the prisoner, and that was just what she was doing. There were guards posted outside of his cell, one on each side and her in the middle. Though, she was the only one who faced towards him and was also the only one not holding a phaser. If he did miraculously escape, she would not knock him out painlessly by phaser, she would make him beg for her to kill him before he had a chance to do any more damage.

As soon as they had arrived on Enterprise, Doctor McCoy had dragged the Captain to Med Bay even though he eventually came willingly. She would have not been surprised if the doctor had hauled Kirk over his shoulder and forcefully carried him to med bay if he had refused. The doctor seemed to care a lot for Jim like a brother would, though, everyone on board the ship was family in a sense, even though they may not be related by blood.

She watched Harrison's every move like a hawk, she watched him pace around the cell like a caged animals, watched him sit on the bunk and ponder, watched every twitch, every flex of muscle as he became agitated, sensed every emotion that he was giving off and did not miss a heartbeat. And yet, he was still a mystery to her.

Her head fell to one side as she studied him, carefully observing every emotion he was giving off, or lack of. But there he stood, hands clasped firmly and eyes set upon something behind her. She was about to turn around and sit back in her desk, but stopped when he suddenly spoke.

"See something you like?"

"Excuse me?" Was her stunned reply, it was the first word he had muttered since he was brought upon the Enterprise and she didn't particularly want to converse with him, a terrorist and murderer. His eyes flickered to hers, though they revealed no emotion as they were as cold as ice.

She retrieved no reply and the room fell into silence yet again. A million thoughts ran through her mind, though there was only one question that lingered on her lips.

"Who are you?" The lieutenant muttered, though little emotion followed those words.

"In all good time, Kitten."

She was about to remark on the pet name, but was stopped short when Kirk came blundering through the automatic doors. The Captains heels clicked against the metal floor as his pace quickened, filling the void of silence.

His hand was tightly wrapped in white material to cover his wounds, though his fist was clenched and his knuckles were white from the strain.

"Captain." Espera addressed him, turning her back on Harrison when the Kirk strode in to be polite.

Kirk flicked his head, gesturing towards the door as a sign to leave. She was about to protest, but though better than to object the captains orders when he was not in exactly in a good mood. After all, humans were unpredictable when under a lot of emotional stress and she did not want that stress directed at her if she refused.

Understanding instantly, she gathered her thoughts together. With one final look towards the prisoner, she left tentatively. The two guards following her like lost puppies as she walked out of the brig, leaving Kirk alone with Harrison. Most likely, havoc will ensure and she would be the one who would have to clean up the mess... Again.

* * *

She had returned to her post as soon as Kirk had left the brig in quite a hurry, not having the time to ask him about what he discussed with Harrison before he rushed off, she was simply left standing alone in the brig. _Typical…_

She huffed and look inside the cell through the glass; Harrison had his back to her, though he was uncomfortably laid out upon the bunk. Sighing, Espera decided to sit down since it would be more comfortable than standing up, until she received further orders. She sat, cross legged, upon the reasonably cold metal floor.

She placed her hands in her lap, creasing her trousers, but paying no mind to that. All of her thoughts were focused on the man in front of her, the man who had murdered innocent people by the dozen with no remorse. The man who had killed Admiral Pike.

She was intrigued. He was, in some twisted way, a fascination to her; how a man could do that for no reason, how he could kill with no motivation. There must be something, something that he is fighting for. _The must be…_

"You look at me as if I am a puzzle to you…"

She jumped at the voice, though her features were a void of all emotion. He still had his back to her, but he spoke those words as if he could see her studying him.

"Do you think that you can put the pieces back together, lieutenant?" He questioned indifferently, slowly rising from the bed. "Do you think that you and your little crew can keep me here?" He spoke, changing the topic, standing up to his full height, looking down upon her small form as if she was an ant. "I'm here because I choose to be."

"I have no intention of doing that. You can remain in pieces; you do not deserve to be put together again." She rose from her position on the floor to face him, choosing to ignore the last comments he made. "I am simply intrigued as to how a man can kill people of his own race in cold blood… it must be a human thing."

"Trust me, Kitten. I am far from human..."

"Why is there a man in that torpedo?"

Kirk wasted no time with pleasantries as he sprinted into the brig with Spock trailing behind. She quickly twisted to face him when he ran in, flicking the stray strands of hair out from her eyes. Almost instantaneously, she had a million thoughts travelling through her Vulcan mind, but did not have the nerve to voice them.

"There are men and women in all those torpedoes, Captain," Harrison replied simply. "I put them there."

Kirk and Spock shared a glance at those words. Espera would be dammed if she was going to turn a blind eye to this conversation; she deserved to know at least what Kirk was talking about.

"Who the hell are you?" Kirk questioned bluntly.

Harrison sat back down upon his bunk, his back straight and his shoulder taunt. Though his gaze was settled far away, set on a point that none but he could see.

"A remnant of a time long past," He spoke, with a hint of… sadness. "Genetically engineered to be superior, so as to lead others to peace in a world at war."

It finally clicked inside her mind, how he could survive being beaten to a pulp, how he could do things than no normal human could. _He was not human… Not completely human, anyway._

"But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile," He took a breath to steady his voice. She could feel the emotions he was emitting as he remembered his past, even though they were clouded by a metaphoric fog; she could feel his withheld agony, his desperate desire for something that he could not quite grasp, though she did not know what.

"For centuries, we slept, hoping that when we awoke, things would be different."

His eyes finally drifted from the spot of interest on the wall and fell over her form before landing on Spock with an icy glare.

"But after the destruction of Vulcan, your Starfleet began to aggressively search distant quadrants of space, my ship was found adrift, I alone was revived." With a hint of malice he spoke, still not making eye contact with the Vulcan-Betazoid hybrid.

His eyes fell upon the captain, his emotions still not being perceived through his exterior. Though, he did not know that the lieutenant in the room could sense everything that he felt as well as her own concealed emotions.

"I looked up John Harrison. A year ago, he didn't exist-"

"John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause." He stood from the bunk, his eyes ablaze with withheld fury.

"A smokescreen to conceal my true identity…" He trailed off.

"Who are you?" Espera questioned softly, her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. He eyes flickered to hers, the anger well concealed beneath the cerulean orbs.

"My name is Khan." His head lowered as he spoke the words, his voice somewhat proud of revealing his genuine name.

"Why would a Starfleet admiral ask a 300 year-old frozen man, for help?" Kirk chided, his voice condescending as he did not believe a word that Harrison- Khan- just stated.

"Because I am… Better."

"At what?" Kirk asked with a smirk, his tone satirical as he looked upon Khan.

"At everything."

A chill ran through her, making her insides shiver as the sensation slid down her spine. It was a chill that the emotion which caused it could not be determined, though it was safe to say that it was not pleasant.

"Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilised threat in a civilised time," Khan quickly added, his voice become quicker as rage boiled inside his veins at the mere memory.

The emotions were almost becoming painful for Espera to sense as they became more heated, the reactions overlapping as so many were being felt by the man inside the cell.

"For that he needed a warrior's mind, _my _mind, to design weapons and warships." Khan turned his back to them, not wanting nor needing to face the Starfleet officers as he relived his past form the memories he had concealed within his mind.

"You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold, simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect?" Spock questioned, clearly not believing the story that Khan was articulating.

Khan spun around suddenly. "He wanted to exploit my savagery!" He snarled in a moment of anger before he collected himself. "Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr Spock, you…you can't even break a rule, how could you be expected to break _bone_?" His eyes fell from Spock's in distaste, before returning to the Captain's.

"Marcus used me to design weapons to help him realise his vision of a militarised Starfleet. He sent you to use those weapons… to fire my torpedoes, on an unsuspecting planet. And then he purposefully crippled your ship in enemy space, leading to one inevitable outcome. The Klingons would come searching for whomever was responsible and you would have no chance of escape." A thin smirk appeared on his features for a split second before it disappeared. "Marcus would have the war he talked about, the war he always wanted." His voice dropped sympathetically as he tried to convey the traitor that Marcus is.

"No." Kirk protested, looking away from Khan before walking so he was opposite the murderer, standing right next to the Lieutenant. "No. I watched you open fire on a room of unarmed Starfleet officers. You killed them in cold blood!"

Khan snapped his eyes shut and turned his back to the Kirk, tired and frustrated from the Captain continuously trying to defend Marcus.

"Marcus took my crew from me-"

"You are a murderer!" Kirk yelled, jaw set and voice livid.

"He used my friends to control me!"

She could feel a change in his temperament, the anger flooded away, lost, and replaced by an equally confusing emotion.

"I tried to smuggle them to safety by concealing them in the very weapons I had designed." Khan voice was lost in the memory, soft and detached, in the moment of agony and grief.

Unconsciously, Espera took a step forward. Not a large one, but a step nonetheless. For reasons she did not know, she was drawn to the very man who murdered one of the only people she could call a friend. She felt empathy for him, but if given the opportunity, she would not hesitate to kill him.

"But I was discovered; I had no choice but to escape alone. And when I did, I had every reason to suspect that Marcus had killed every single one of the people I hold most dear." He whispered the last word, his features contorted in pain, though none could see.

She was lost in the feelings that he emitted, as she normally was when a person around her was emotional. She tried to control it, but it was harder than expected. She felt others emotions as her own, on one hand it was gift, on the other, it was a curse.

"So I responded in kind." He slowly turned around.

Her left hand felt the cold glass before it registered in her mind that she had reached out towards Khan, quickly, she withdrew the limb before anyone could notice. Or so she thought.

"My crew is my family, Kirk." He whispered, his eyes red, filled with suspended tears. "Is there anything you would not do, for your family?" Compassion laced his words, winding into Kirk ears as he looked upon Khan's form.

_I don't have one…_ The thought echoed around her mind before she could not dwell on it anymore for it stung her heart like an insect bite. There was more pressing matters to attend to such as the murderer in the brig.

_"Proximity alert, Sir!"_ Sulu's voice came over the comm, snapping Kirk out of his trance-like state. _"There's a ship at warp heading right for us!"_

"Klingons?" Kirk questioned into the comm.

"No-" Espera responded quickly, turning to glance at the Captain.

"At warp?" Khan remarked, eyes glancing at Espera's. "No, Kirk. We both know who it is."

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**A/N. I really need to see the movie whilst writing this, but I can't find a decent link to watch it nor has the movie come out which is annoying. At the moment I'm living on quotes and clips from the movie! Anywho, hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review since it keeps me sane!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N. Blargh, you guys make me so happy! Thank you guys so much for reviewing and I will always reply to each comment with a little note! Enjoy this chapter and thank ****kykyxstandler** **for finding me a good link! Enjoy!**

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**Sticks and Stones**

**Chapter 7**

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"Lieutenant Espera, post two security officers on him." Kirk ordered, sprinting from the brig.

"Aye Sir."

Her body abruptly went into autopilot as her mind dethatched from her form. She directed a dozen of security officers to get Khan out of the cell and into Sick bay as soon as possible after Kirk and Spock left the brig to return to return to the bridge.

She had Khan seated on a bed at sick bay when they had arrived at sick bay, and made sure that he was surrounded by guards as well as her.

"_Captain Kirk." _A taunt voice blazed over the comm for all the ship to hear, one which belonged to Admiral Marcus.

"_Admiral Marcus,"_ Kirk's voice replied over the comm, calm and collected as usual. _"I wasn't expecting you. A hell of a ship you got there."_

"_And I wasn't expecting word that you'd taken Harrison into custody in violation of your orders." _Was Marcus' reply, his voice cold and unnerving, but not to her ears. She saw behind he façade, he was a pathetic man who abused and manipulates people for his own gain.

She looked at Khan, his posture was ridged as always and his face a mask, void, of all emotion.

"_Well, we…uh…we had to improvise when our warp core unexpectedly malfunctioned," _She smirked inwardly at the Captains well done improvisation of words. _"But you knew that, didn't you, sir?"_

"_I don't take your meaning?"_

"_Well, that's why you're here, isn't it? To assist with our repairs? Why else would the head of Starfleet personally come to the edge of the Neutral Zone?" _Kirk questioned, his tone believable to the human ears, but she knew better. "_Is there something I can help you find, Sir?"_

"_Where is your prisoner, Kirk?"_

_"…I plan on returning _Khan_ to Earth to stand trial."__ Kirk replied simply, finally giving the game away to the Admiral._

"_Well, shit." _Marcus sighed dejectedly, rubbing his forehead with his right palm. _"You talked to him..._ _That was exactly what I was hoping to spare you from."_

Her gaze fell back upon Khan.

"_Son, I'm going to ask you nicely just this once. Give him to me, so I can handle what I started."_

"_And what exactly would you like me to do with the rest of his crew? Fire them at the Klingons, end 72 lives, start a war in the process?"_

"_He put those people in those torpedoes. I just didn't want to burden you with what was inside them. You saw what this man can do, could you imagine what would happen if we woke up the rest of their crew? What else did he tell you, that he was a peacekeeper? His playing you, son, don't you see that? Khan and his crew were condemned to death as war criminals, and now it is our duty to carry out that sentence before anyone else dies because of him. Now I'm going to ask you again! One last time, son, lower your shields, tell me where he is."_

She held her breath, though she had no idea why. The lieutenant had looked up to the Admiral once, seen him as one of the most distinguished Admirals of Starfleet, and now look at what he had become. Nothing more than a criminal, a betrayer of the federation. An enemy.

"_They're in Engineering. But I'll have them moved to the transporter room right away."_

"_I'll take it from here."_

She felt the normal lurch of the ship going into warp as the transmission ended and let out a breath of relief. She looked at Khan, though his features were not as hopeful as hers when he looked straight through her. Her brow furrowed and creased her forehead, a habit which she had picked up upon when she came to earth, but before she could question that look, Doctor McCoy pushed her out of the way and scanned Khans vital signs with his tricorder.

"Well, at least we're moving again," McCoy sighed, sparing a quick glance at Carol Marcus.

"If you think you're safe at warp," Khan muttered distantly. "You're wrong." His eyes flickered towards Carol and she gasped unexpectedly, suddenly swerving around and sprinting out of med bay, leaving a trail of metaphorical dust in her wake. Espera looked towards Khan in confusion and opened her mouth to speak.

"What do you mea-"

Espera's calm persona flinched when the ship lurched suddenly and threw her off balance and right into Khan. Medical equipment went flying as well as other Starfleet officers; she fell towards the bed, placing a hand on the metal bedside and the other accidentally on Khan's chest to steady herself. She gasped and quickly withdrew it once her balance was restored and demanded what was going on. Alarms when on and droned out all other noise, the lights flickering and dimming as a red hue surrounded them, engulfing them in a sea of crimson.

* * *

She picked up some stray medical equipment, putting it back in its rightful place whilst still watching Khan out of the corner of her eye. She didn't dare speak to Khan again, McCoy would wring her neck is she were to. So, she just observed, trying to deduce anything for his outer persona; a twitch, a look, anything which could save the Enterprise from being destroyed by the Vengeance. That was her job, to protect people, and she would be damned if this _man_ was going to stop her form doing just that.

Kirk hesitantly marched into sick bay, taking a deep breath before addressing Khan, neither acknowledging her nor the Doctor.

"Tell me everything you know about that ship." He ordered.

"Captain?" Espera questioned, looking towards the Captain with unease.

"_Dreadnought_ class, two times the size, three times the speed. Advanced weaponry, modified for a minimal crew. Unlike most Federation vessels, it's built solely for combat." Khan stated the facts one after the other, as if he had recited them before, his voice impassive.

"Captain?" She questioned again, though still received no answer.

"I will do everything I can to make you answer for what you did… But right now, I need your help," Kirk confessed unwillingly, still paying no attention to the Lieutenant nor the other Starfleet officers in the room.

"In exchange for what?"

"You said you'd do anything for your crew. I can guarantee their safety," Kirk bargained with the terrorist, needing him help though not really wanting it.

"Captain," Khan tutted. "You can't even guarantee the safety of your _own_ crew." Khan taunted, doubting Kirks abilities to effectively captain the Enterprise, reminding him that he isn't actually in control of _anything_.

Kirk looked away from Khan dejectedly, glancing towards the doctor and frowning at what he saw.

"Bones, what are you doing with that tribble?"

"The tribble's dead. I'm injecting Khan's platelets into the deceased tissue of a necrotic host. Khan's cells regenerate like nothing I've ever seen and I want to know why." McCoy replied, fully infused in his work as he injected the blood into the furry creature.

Kirk gaze fell back upon Khan yet again, his mind set as well as his features. "Are you coming with me or not?"

* * *

"We're coming over there, Sulu's manoeuvring the Enterprise into position as we speak." Kirk spoke into his comm, surrounded by Security officers wearing red shirts, much like the one she wore.

She nodded unconsciously, though that was the last she heard before she got caught in a sea of panicking and very busy officers, reduced to slowly watching Kirk and Khan walk off without her in front of her eyes.

"Excuse me…" She requested, pushing through the crowds of people. "Excuse me."

"Just listen to him Scotty, It'll be alright." Was what she heard Kirk speaking when she finally caught up with the Captain, straightening the creases out from her uniform, whilst acting as if nothing had happened.

"_It's not going to be alright; you want me to open an airlock into space, where upon I will freeze, die and explode!" A voice chimed over the comm._

"Captain." She addressed, finally catching up with them.

"Yes Miss. Espera?" He questioned, walking briskly, but not stopping to converse with her.

"Captain, may I request that I go with you." She questioned after a moment of silence.

"No."

"Captain-"

"No, Lieutenant it's too dangerous."

"Captain, I am the most qualified to do such a mission since it is _dangerous_. You forget who I am, I am chief security officer on board this ship, I know every form of physical combat known and my shooting range and skills are beyond average. I advise that you do not decline my offer."

"Lieutenant-"

"Guard him." She ordered towards the red shirts surrounding Khan, pulling Kirk towards the side so they were out of ear shot.

"Do you truly believe that once Khan is on board that ship, that he will not betray you?" She questioned, stopping Kirk in his tracks. "You need another person who can some-what control him; he is three times your strength, you would die before you inflicted _any_ pain to his form. Captain, this is the _logical_ decision…"

"…Fine, but we need to hurry." He spoke after contemplating her offer for a moment, walking back towards the prisoner.

"Aye Sir."

* * *

The suits were incredibly tight fitting, but very light as they climbed down a ladder towards the air lock.

"Scotty, how're we doing out there?" Kirk questioned breathlessly, sparing a glance at the lieutenant. She checked the seals on her helmet, making sure it was fastened down securely before she would be blasted off into space. After all, if the helmet was not on properly, she would only have thirty seconds to live and that wouldn't stop the Vengeance from destroying the Enterprise. The blue fabric clung to her body, allowing her some room to move, but chafed greatly and squeaked as she did so.

"_Captain, I wished I had better news; they've locked out access to the ship's computer, they'll have full weapons in three minutes." _The Scottish man answered reluctantly. _"That means next time, I won't be able to stop them from destroying Enterprise. Stand by."_

"_Captain, the ships are aligned." _Commander Spock's voice spoke over the comm, monotone as he addressed the Captain.

"Copy that. Scotty?"

"_I'm in the hanger, give me a minute." _

She looked towards Khan, though his eyes were focused straight in front of him. His mind set on the mission ahead, sparing no thought to the Vulcan beside him.

"_Wo wow wo, hold on there Captain. This door is very wee. I mean, you know, small… Its four squared metres tops. Its gunna be like jumping out of a moving car, off of a bridge into your shot class…"_

"It's okay, I've done it before." Both sets of eyes on each side of kirk snapped upon him in unison, both in shock and confusion at the thought of Kirk doing such a thing.

"I'm not even going to question that, Captain." Espera sighed, slightly impressed and embarrassed at Kirk's past behaviour.

"Yeah it was vertical, we jumped onto a… a- doesn't matter. Scotty!"

"Did you find the manual override?" Khan requested, ignoring Kirk trying to explain himself which she just found amusing.

"The manual override, Scotty?" Kirk asked, interrupting Khan.

"_Not yet, not yet."_

"Scotty?" Kirk requested after a moment of silence.

"_It's not easy, just give me two seconds you mad bastard!"_

Her lips twitched as Kirk rolled his eyes at Mr. Scott's remark. Khan slowly lowered himself so that he had one knee placed in front of the other so that he was in a crouching position, Kirk looked towards him and awkwardly lowered himself as well, the fabric squeaking as he did so.

"I suggest you kneel, Espera." Khan directed the Lieutenant and she hesitantly complied, the fabric clinging to her legs and stomach as she kneeled. Kirk spared a quick worried glance at her before his focus was once again ahead.

"_Okay, okay. I've set to open the door." _The engineer remarked.

"You ready?" Kirk asked into the air, the question directed at anyone who would listen. _Of course... I was trained to be ready. _She inwardly replied.

"Are you?" Khan countered. She looked towards him and Khan met her gaze before she withdrew abruptly with an annoyed sigh. Her eyes remained straight ahead at the doors that awaited Kirks command to open, waiting to engulf them like a hungry animal starved of food for weeks.

"Mr Spock, pull the trigger."

Her heart drummed inside her rib cage, beating furiously, though her calm persona was as solid as stone; it kept in place even when adrenalin pumped through her veins when the directing sequence appeared inside her helmet.

"_Yes Captain." _

"_Launching activational_ _sequence in 3…2…1"_

* * *

**A/N. Yeah, Khan wants you on your knees, Espera! Okay, immature-ness over, hope that you enjoyed this chapter and please review for more. Also as I always say, the more reviews the quicker I update! c:**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N. YEAH, STID is finally out on movie! Enjoy this chapter and remember to review if you want more!**

* * *

**Sticks and Stones**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Her heart leapt to her throat when all the air left her lungs as she was thrown out of the Enterprise with a force that could not be reckoned with. The stars fluttered past her at a speed that made her vision hazy. Her heart fluttered like the wing beat of a song bird as the silence in the vacuum was suffocating, her mind raced faster than her movements as she narrowly avoiding the debris field in her path.

"_Captain there is debris directly ahead_." A monotone voice chimed over the comm, the distinctively Vulcan voice which belonged to Spock.

"Copy that"

Kirk used the thrusters to manoeuvre away from the debris, scarcely avoiding hitting the object, but resulting in him being way off course.

"Got it, I'm moving my way back" Kirk spoke as he managed to avoid the metal, using his thrusters to try to get back onto course with no avail.

"Dammit." Kirk cussed.

"_Captain, we can't seem to hear you. Working on getting the signal back, stand by." _Uhura spoke.

"Captain, are you alright?" Espera questioned, sparing a quick glance at Kirk figure which was far away from her, too far.

"My helmet was hit..."

"_Imminent collision detected._ _Khan use evasive actions, debris directly ahead" _Spock announced as the Lieutenant was about to reply to Kirk.

"I see it."

"Khan?" She asked, voice tight as Khan suddenly went out of sight. "Khan are you alright?" she requested, but yet again received no answer.

"Men." She whispered as she used the thruster in her right hand to get closer to the last area she saw Khan.

"Was Khan hit?" Kirk requested.

"_We're trying to find him now." _

"I'm going to find him." Espera announced as she directed herself closer.

* * *

"Khan?" She asked, looking around at the rushing void surrounding her. "Answer me, Khan." She demanded into the comm, searching for any sign of the Augment who she trusted just as far as she could throw him. No use him going off on a tangent now, the moment when we need him most.

"Here." Her neck snapped to the left as she found Khan placed beside her, his suit was intact and he seemed to be alright, well, there was no sign of any physical damage per usual.

"Kirk needs help." She announced, using her thrusters to get back to him.

"Espera, to your left."

"Wha-?"

Quickly, she looked, but it was too late. A large chunk of debris had connected with her left arm, knocking her straight into Khan. Her back collided with his chest and flung them back a few feet. They were about to crash into another large metal debris. To avoid it, she kicked Khan in the stomach, pushing him out of the range of the debris as she used her thrusters to avoid hitting it.

"Sorry." She said when he came back into view.

"Are you alright?" He spoke, voice betraying no emotion.

"Nothing life threatening." The Vulcan clenched her jaw, trying desperately to stay on course. "Go help Kirk, I'll be with you momentarily." The pain in her arm amplified after the initial shock, she gritted her teeth together and tried to use the meditation techniques her father taught her. _Block out the pain and carry on..._

* * *

"Spock, my display is dead. I'm flying blind."

"_Commander, he's not going to make it."_ Sulu announced over the comm.

"My display is still functioning." Khan suddenly announced, flying in from nowhere. Espera trailed behind him, placing herself behind, but between the two. Khan spared a quick glance at her before his determined look was focused back on Kirk and he finished speaking. "and follow me."

"Scotty, were getting close, we need a welcome. Do you copy?" Kirk spoke as they neared the Vengeance, looking at the small opening which they were meant to go through.

"Do you copy? scotty?" Kirk yelled, panic rising within his voice when he received no answer.

_9, 8_

"Scotty!?"

_7, 6_

"Mr Scott, where are you?"

_5, 4_

"Do you copy, scotty, please?"

_3, 2 _

"_Mr Scott, open the door."_ Spock ordered after counting down to the last numeral.

She heard the wind rushing past her ears as they entered the ship, he her beating out of her rib cage as the rising pain in her arm was momentarily forgotten. Adrenalin pumped through her veins as they narrowly entered the hanger. Her relief was short lived when her body collided with another.

She crashed against the floor, sliding and rolling along the metal, her legs entwined with another's. They rolled and rolled, her vision swirled as her hands clung to the figures. _I'm going to regret this in the morning... _She silently thought as bruises were bound to form all over her body from the force of hitting the floor. They began just sliding as they finally slowed down; she braced herself for an impact as they were bound to hit the control panel if they didn't stop soon...

"Welcome aboard." Scotty spoke, his breathing ragged as he sat, planted his backside on the cold, metal floor .

_Oh. _She thought, surprised._ We're alive…_

Though, one thing puzzled her; she didn't remember the floor of any Star Ship being so soft and warm. She brought herself up onto her palms, looking below her with shock.

"Sorry." She squeaked, quickly rolling off of Khan, detangling their legs as he sat up onto his elbows.

"It's good to see you, Scotty." Kirk smirked as he drew himself into a sitting position.

"Who's that?" The Scotsman questions, nodding towards Khan.

"Khan, scotty. Scotty, Khan." Kirk stretched his back, groaning in pain. She flopped back down onto the floor in relief of being alive and unharmed, well, mostly unharmed. She looked down at her arm, the pain still lurking beneath the surface, even when she detached her mind from it.

"Hello." Mr Scott nodded at Khan.

"Greetings, Mister Scott." She waved at him, taking off her helmet.

"Espera! Looking good in blue."

"Cheers." She spoke, wiping her hair from her sweaty forehead.

"They'll know were here. I know the best way to the bridge." Khan announced, looking around whilst kneeling, not even bothering with pleasantries.

* * *

"It's locked to stun." Kirk spoke as he handed Khan the gun. She looked towards her weapon, fingering the stun setting before setting it back on the desk before her.

"There's won't be."

"Let's hope they don't get the chance to fire them." She stated, picking up the phaser and standing awkwardly, letting her arm dangle lifelessly at her side.

"Just try not to get shot." Kirk settled as they left the room to get to the bridge.

She pushed herself off the wall she was leaning on, hissing at the sudden pain in her limb.

"You alright?" Scotty questioned, hands reaching to help her.

"I'm fine." She stated, pushing the help away. "But… thank you."

They glided through corridor after corridor, she lost count on how many corners they had turned. She paced faster and faster, desperately trying to keep up with the strides Khan was setting. The blood from her broken limb was dousing her tight black Starfleet top with green. There was small droplets of green liquid in her wake as she blindly followed Khan, biting her lip to keep herself upright.

"They're going to have full power… and we're _walking_?" Scotty protested as they turned yet another corner.

"The turbolifts are easily tracked and Marcus would have use in a cage." Khan countered. "This path runs adjacent to the engine room. They know they won't be able to use their weapons here without destabilising the warp core which gives us the advantage."

"Where'd you find this guy?" Scotty queried, shocked.

"It's a long story…"

They ran off again and she was left to trail behind like some runt of the litter, clutching her broken limp as she ran after them.

"I don't mean to temp fate here, but where is everyone? Scotty asked after a moment of silence.

"The ship is designed to be flown by a minimal crew, one if necessary," Khan replied, voice dull and grim.

"One! bu-" Scotty words were cut off abruptly as a uniformed officer flung himself onto Khan, though the Augment was not surprised. Khan caught his arm, throwing him against the wall before other officers swarmed around them like hungry tigers on the prowl.

_I don't have time for this…_ She thought as she was surrounded by three officers, she delivered a fatal blow to the neck of the mans in front of her, quickly flinging him at the man to her side before grabbing the soft tissue between the neck and shoulder of the man behind her, rendering him unconscious.

She punched Kirk's assailant in the throat with a quick flick of her unharmed wrist. He gargled down a choke before his eyes went back into his skull as he fell to the floor with a thud. She ducked past Kirk and Scott when another two uniformed officers charged at them, using their strength to their advantage as they pushed Kirk into a corner and Scotty to the floor. Brawn before brains.

Her body collided with a wall when one man shoved her against it, quickly, she jabbed him in the stomach with her knee, turning them around and shoving him headfirst against the wall. He fell to the floor as his body went slack. The Lieutenant turned to look back towards the Captain, worrying about his safety and the safety of the engineer.

"You alright?" Kirk questioned, helping Mr Scott back to his feet.

"Where's Khan?" Espera questioned, looking around at the sea of bodies surrounding them. "We need to find him… You two go that way and I'll go the other." She requested, pointing in two different directions. "Head for the bridge."

"Captain?" Scotty spoke.

"Do what she says." Kirk answered. "Scotty, Espera. As soon as we get to the bridge, drop him."

"Khan? I thought he was helping us?" Mr Scott protested.

"I'm pretty sure we're helping him." Kirk stated.

She nodded towards the Captain, taking her phaser in hand and followed the maze of corners and corridors, soon finding the Captain and the Scotsman nowhere to be seen when she reluctantly looked behind. She could only hope that they will somehow stopped the Vengeance from killing all the innocent lives on board the Enterprise before it was too late.

* * *

"How hard can it be to find a Bridge?" She questioned into the air, sitting down to regain her composure after the past minutes being spent mindlessly sprinting round corridor after corridor. "It feels like the first time I came to earth, they need a big sign which say 'Bridge' in bold letters."

She quickly flung herself into a corner when she saw a uniformed officer walk round towards her, though he did not notice her presence in the shadows of the ship. He was a lot slimmer than most of the other officers they had seen and had a meek, insecure look to him. So she decided to use that to her advantage when she saw that he was an Ensign.

"Ensign." She addressed him sternly and he flinched at the sound of her voice. "How do I find the bridge?" She demanded in the most authoritative voice she could muster.

"Go straight on and it's the first door to the left, ma'am."

"Thank you."

"…Wait. Who are you?" He questioned, noticing her different uniform. Suddenly becoming increasingly worried at the blood stains on her top, he drew his phaser from its holster.

She quickly grabbed at the junction between his neck and shoulder, putting pressure on it until his legs collapsed before him and his phaser fell from his hands. The Vulcan looked around for any other officers, but found none. She stepped over his body, walking straight on down the hallway without a second thought.

* * *

**A/N. I wasn't going to end it there, since I was going to write a bit more, but I felt bad that I hadn't updated in so long. So here you go, sorry for the wait. Review, my pretties, for more!**


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